the naked divide

I'll tell you about yesterday. How a student overheard me talking to another teacher about 'sexting'. About how this student rolled her eyes. How she noted that 'sexting' seems to be something adults are all up in arms about. So I presume she is fine with the notion of sending naked images of herself to friends, and of friends sending nude images to her. And she responds:

It's just so interesting that adults have a problem with it. That it's all over the news.

And if I were in her shoes (if she wears them), I'd point to this site and I'd have no choice except to agree with her. We're teaching about abuse, about manipulation, and violations of privacy, but we're overlooking the ones disrobing with glee, who digitize and transmit their privates with no sense of the word privacy.

They are voluntary participants in a network of naked transmissions, and we're powerless against a naked divide that we can neither mend or clothe.

all sextd up and no one to phone

Teens are sending nude images of themselves via their cell phones. Maybe you know this already. If so, you recognize that sexting is better than texting, and way, way more enjoyable than texting-with-benefits.




















But there's a downside. According to an ABC news story:

In Alabama, authorities arrested four middle-school students for exchanging nude photos of themselves.

Reminds me of middle-school, when I traded my Candy Maldanado card for a Dan Quisenberry and my friend and I wound up violating a bucketful of MLB proprietary guidelines and next thing you know, we're both under arrest, splashed across television screens, plastered all over local and national papers, mired in ignominy and embarrassment.

Thank goodness we didn't have cell phones.

loglines

An email from the yearbook:

According to legend, Ernest Hemingway was challenged to write a story in six words. The acclaimed writer’s response was, “For sale: baby shoes, never used.”

Here’s where you come in. The yearbook staff would like you to compose your own six-word memoir, to be featured along with your picture in the 2008-2009 Retina year book. It can be about your own life, your experiences as a teacher, and your time at Springfield, or anything you want.

Examples:

"Could be worse, could be raining." - Igor

"I tawt. I taw. Puddy tat!" - Tweety

Need to trim my list (below), select one that deftly captures, evokes. That, in six glorious words, exudes marketability. Something Hollywood folk would green light and plaster on 16oz fountain drink cups.

Rainbows flow from me like syrup.

Don't judge anyone on six words.

Everyone breathing? Congrats! Here's your diploma!

Fragments are for grammar. Not experience.

Pregnant teen. Adoptive parents. Hilarity ensues.

I think one of them would make a great movie. Though, I'm not sure about the fountain drink cross-promotion.

of an english exam unfinished

Finals here today, so I hope you studied, because if you neglected to prepare, you may find yourself storming out of an exam room exclaiming:

The teachers is here's not preparing us is all!

And while you may say something a bit different, you'd be hard-pressed not to agree with the fact that when it comes to grammar, this student's invective may be spot-on.

with or without you

Goodbye,'Whopper Sacrifice'.

What do you mean? Where am I going?

Haven't you heard? You've been dropped, or as some of the less clever have noted, 'sacrificed'.

But why? I'm a social-media marketers dream. What has Wendy's done to pump brand awareness? How about McDona--

Are you serious?

Fine. Look, there's no danger if I'm around. If anything, I've given Facebook users the chance to think about their beloved 'friends'. It's a heavy term, 'friend', and in truth, it shouldn't be deemed a collectible.

You're still outta here. And I can't help but notice some hostility in your voice.

What hostility? You're being ridiculous. Hey, I've seen your page. Three hundred friends? You don't have three hundred friends. I gave people an out, a way to refine their use and practice of the term 'friend'. What have you added to the social fabric?

Again, hostility. I think it eats you up --

Ha ha, that's funny.

--that people dropped their friends just to get a coupon for you. And in the meantime, how many friends do you have on Facebook? Twitter? You're alone. You've been alone. Your company dangled you out like bait. You're nothing more than a digitized bait-and-switch, a gastro-intestinal rope-a-dope.

Oh really? Well guess what? Sounds like you're talking about yourself and everyone like you. My company played you, no, fed you, words and whoppers, and you chomped at all of it. Empty words. Empty calories. And now, you'll just go back to empty friends. Have a nice life.

Well...I...but...you...I know! I'll follow you on Twitter if you follow me.

Really?

Really.

crude-i-tes

Mark's first snowman.

• Snow, from car windows.
• Facial features, courtesy of refrigerator.
• Arm (just one), yard detritus.
  

phew! he said 'university'

Thank goodness. For a minute there (literally), I thought we (read: high schools) would have to change.

Just for poohs and chortles:

Good message, timely, no doubt. But everyone 'learning' outside - on the train, on the roof, in the kitchen - seems, oh, what are the words here?

Isolated.
Alone.

ijohnpederson...thank you. You inspire me with your embedding.